“Just show them your udders,” a customer quipped to a friend in line.
“Well, I really wanted to buy some cow-print footie pajamas, but I couldn’t find them in my size from the children’s section of Target,” the friend replied while in line at Chik-Fil-A’s “Cow Appreciation Day” on Tuesday.
The two men, dressed in white shirts with black cardboard spots taped on, waited patiently among a sea of cow-costume-clad customers for their turn to order a free meal of their choosing.
The duo looked with envy at a 6-foot-2-inch cow walking on two legs (high school senior in full costume) in front of them in line.
“I bet he’ll get two milkshakes for free, he’s dressed so well,” the first man-cow said to the other.
“Cow Appreciation Day” is held nationally by Chik-Fil-A. Patrons are encouraged once a year to dress like cows in exchange for a meal of fried chicken nuggets, sandwiches or salads with fries and a drink.
Via: Restaurant News
“We do it in the spirit of generosity,” said Bev Carroll, marketing director of Chik-Fil-A in the Oaks Mall.
Carroll and her husband Steve have been the owner-operators of North Central Florida Chik-Fil-A locations, including those on the UF campus, for 38 years. The couple bought in to the franchise after graduated college.
“My voice is cracked because I’ve been hollering orders all day,” Carroll said. “But when we had a group of nine cousins and their grandmother all dressed like cows come in today, it was all worth it.”
Besides seeing the creative costumes that people bring in, Carroll likes that it brings families together to dress up and have a fun outing. She also likes that it makes people think about giving selflessly.
Justin Littlejohn, a 20-year-old student and modern-day Robin Hood, decided to take advantage of the event by bringing a free meal he received to a homeless person.
“I try to do something extraordinarily kind once a day,” Littlejohn said.
He’s been attending the event since he could drive.
Littlejohn convinced three friends to join him first at the restaurant’s Archer Road location to chow down on their own free meals. He mapped out a next stop at the Oaks Mall for another entrée to bring to any local person who looked like they were hungry.
“We headed downtown to look for homeless people,” he said, “In this heat they were tough to find.”
Littlejohn and his Merry Men did eventually stumble upon individuals in need.
One lucky recipient, a 60-year-old man named Tommy, was pleased to receive a still-hot fried chicken sandwich with Chik-Fil-A’s brand of special sauce and a large order of waffle fries.
Little john also gifted him a single Marlboro.
Tommy said that he had been an alcoholic since he was 13 years old, and he was down on his luck as of late.
“Chik-Fil-A always looked like a nice place to eat, and now I get to try it,” he said as he thanked the group of kind bandits.
